Anchor



March 4, 1969 J. H HYSAW 3,430,596

ANCHOR Filed Nov. 6, 1967 James H. Hysaw INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,430,596 ANCHOR James H. Hysaw, 302 Summit St., Lawton, Okla. 73501 Filed Nov. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 680,919 US. Cl. 114208 flaims Int. Cl. B63b 21/24 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A lightweight boat anchor expressly constructed to survive rigorous endurance needs either in or out of the water. It will withstand stress and strain, will minimize high loss difiiculties and will reduce the hazard of stumbling over the anchor while in transit. Experimental use has shown this anchor to be reliable and safe. Some boat owners use anchor chains without a suitable release on the boat. In an emergency such an uncontrollable arrangement can be hazardous. The disclosed anchor and its pull responsive and collapsible features serves to solve the problems commonly encountered.

This invention relates to certain new and useful safety promoting improvements in boat anchors of a type characterized, generally speaking, by a shank having a trailing end operatively connected to the median portion of a right angularly disposed shaft or axle and wherein a pair of pointed triangulate blade-type flukes are fixed to end portions of the axle on diametrically opposite sides of the intervening shank.

More specifically, the anchor which will be hereinafter set forth in detail is a type wherein the handling line (chain or rope) has a lower end connected with a pull responsive ring encircling and capable of sliding lengthwise along the shank between longitudinally limit stops carried by the leading and trailing ends of said shank. To the ends desired the principal and underlying aspect is safety and the builtin capability of the anchor to cope with the constantly recurring danger which is ever present when the fiukes become fouled and resist disengagement from an unsafe place of anchorage.

Briefly, the improved collapsible self-contained anchor comprises, in combination, an elongated rig-id rod providing a shank and having a T-shaped forward or leading end terminating in an integral crosshead and a trailing end terminating in a relatively short right angular tubular member constituting a bearing and also an end thrust limit stop member, a line actuated pull responsive ring encircling said shank and slidingly shiftable along said shank between said crosshead and tubular member, respectively, and adapted to be checked and restrained when in abutting engagement with either the crosshead or the tubular member as the case may be, an elongated axle corresponding in length and complemental to said shank and having a median portion operatively mounted in said bearing, the longitudinal axis of said axle being at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said shank, a pair of triangulate flat-faced flukes affixed to and projecting laterally from the respective end portions of said axle and located in coplanar relationship on diametrically opposite sides of the intervening shank, and axle and shank elevating units carried by the outer end portions of said axle.

In carrying out the principles of the over-all concept the bearing at the trailing end of the shank is structurally linked by a clevis which has a frangible end or pin portion which is susceptible of shearing off under abnormal pulling strain, whereby to permit the shank to swing through an arcuate path, flip over and reverse its position in a manner to exert a pulling force which dislodges and frees the fiukes for hoisting and retrieving the anchor. This result takes place when the tubular member is freed and the boat 3,439,596 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 is maneuvered to exert a pull on the tautened line in a predetermined manner and direction.

Another improvement has to do with a shank-equipped axle whose respective ends are provided with novel elevating units each unit characterized by a sleeve having special plates affixed thereto. The projecting end portions of the plates provide prongs which not only lift the over-all anchor and cause the fiukes to dig intothe waters bottom but also anchor themselves and serve as chocks. To the specific ends desired, these sleeves have keeper notches releasably engaging the respectively cooperable flukes, and rulbber pressure applying collars exert yielding end thrust pressure on the sleeves to retain the same in their normal axle propping and elevating position. These two units contribute a resourceful feature to the over-all anchor, lend themselves to ever varying river and lake beds and assist in maintaining the fiukes in a dig-in position and at such an angle that the load is imposed on the axle.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of the anchor showing the line attaching ring at the leading end of the shank, the rearward or trailing end propped up and with the embedded flukes inclined and checked in place.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective and with the component parts in the same cooperative relationship as illustrated in FIG. 1 but with the shiftable line ring abutting the trailing end of the shank.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with the flukes pointing in one direction, the releasable shank in an opposite direction and with the plate portions of the axle elevating units bottomed in a plane common with the plane of the fiukes.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view on an enlarged scale emphasizing certain of the component parts and showing how they are constructed for cooperative relation.

Referring now to the drawings the construction and normal relationship of the component parts is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The elongated rigid suitably weighted shank is denoted by the numeral 6 and in general practice comprises a steel rod which may be fifteen inches in length. The forward or leading end portion 8 may be described as substantially T-shaped in plan and accordingly is equipped with a relatively short integral crosshead 10. The rearward or trailing end of the shank is provided with a right angular relatively short tubular member 12 having diametrically opposite holes 14 therein. This tubular member constitutes a supporting and assembling bearing for the right angularly disposed axle or shaft 16. This shaft 16 is also a rigid steel correspondingly weighted rod which is also fifteen inches in length and of a cross-section t0 fit with requisite nicety into the bore of the bearing. The trailing end portion of the shank 6 at its junctural connection with the bearing 12 is denoted in FIG. 3 at 18 and is in line with the holes 14 and also with a keeper hole (not detailed) extending through the axle 16 and aligned with the holes 14. A substantially C-shaped wire member or suitably bent wire nail provides a clevis 20 which embraces the mid portion of the tubular member and has at least one end portion 22 which is here set forth as a frangible or breakable shear pin. This pin 22 extends through the holes 14 and also through the hole in the axle and in this manner the shank 6 is coupled to the median portion of the axle 16 between a pair of coplanar duplicate flat faced blade-like fiukes 24. The apical or pointed ends 26 of these fiukes are adapted to be embedded in the bed of the body of water in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The broad or basal end portions 28 are welded or otherwise joined to end portions of the axle in such a manner that the converging inward edges 30 converge toward and are situated at the respective end portions of the tubular bearing 12. The generally straight outward marginal edge portions of the flukes are denoted at 32 and are at right angles to the axle and are spaced inwardly from the terminal end portions 34 in a manner to define journals 36 one of which is shown in FIG. 4.

This extending end portion or journal at each end of the shaft or axle serves to accommodatingly support the aforementioned axle elevating, anchor angling and fluke embedding result attained, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2. This journal serves to accommodate the readily applicable and removable as well as rotatably mounted elevating unit 38. Each unit 38 comprises a suitable sleeve 40 which is mounted on the aforementioned journal and which is held in place by a suitably proportioned rubber or elastic assembling and retention collar 42 which encircles the journal and is interposed between the end 44 of the sleeve and an assembling washer 46. The washer is fitted over the apertured end portion 48 (FIG. 4) and is held in place by a cotter key 50 passing through the aperture or hole 48 in the manner shown. It will be noted that the inward end of each sleeve has a suitably shaped keeper notch 52 which is releasably engageable with the edge 32 of the cooperating fiuke. With this construction and arrangement each unit 38, sometimes referred to as an elevating standard, is so designed that when fouled, it will trip forward or backward during the retrieval step. To accomplish this desired result an elongated plate 52 is provided and has a median portion thereof superimposed on and welded or otherwise affixed to a median peripheral part of the sleeve, the end portions of the plate projecting tangentially. The end portions are substantially triangulate in shape and provide prongs 54 which shape is utilized to achieve a release from any object that would tend to restrict it from the inside when the anchor is pulled to either side. This unit or standard elevates the rear ends 28 of the flukes and at the same time the notch 52 is pressing down ahead of the axle and forces the flukes to dig-in. This result tends to keep the over-all anchor in a position to place or impose strain on the axle. The elastic collar 42 exerts inward pressure to maintain pressure on the friction held notch 52. By varying the thickness of the collar one can control the pressure of the friction notch against the edge of the fluke with which it cooperates. The aforementioned clevis 20 and its assembling key or shear pin 22 allows the shank to fiip to either side and also allows the fiukes to hold their proper angle. The size of the hole or holes allows for limited leeway for the shank before cutting or fracturing the pin in the axle.

The line (rope or chain) is denoted by the numeral 56 and has its lower end 58 suitably connected to a ring 60 which encircles the shank 6 and is responsive to line pull and can be shifted along the shank between the limit stops and 12 in the manner suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively.

Persons conversant with safety-type anchors in the category of invention under advisement are aware that the elongated straight edges of the fiukes 24 are commonly on the inward margins and the inclined edges are positioned outwardly (as in the patent to Morgan et al. 2,990,799). In the construction and arrangement herein shown the reverse is true in the straight edges 32 are outermost while the converging edges 30 are located inwardly and confront diametrically opposite sides of the intervening but significantly longer shank 6. In practice the degree of the angles (edges 30) may vary in proportion to the length of the flukes. This variable angle feature is novel in that it serves, primarily, to keep rocks, roots and debris from lodging and jamming between the flukes, shank and shaft. The points 26 assume a well balanced position and minimize undesirable tilting and displacement and dig in and down as illustrated in FIGS. *1 and 2. Also, the angled edges 30, dependent on the over-all size and the character of the terrain, invariably function in a capable manner and attain effective anchoring results.

In actual practice and keeping in mind the light weight construction of the anchor it will be evident that any component part of the anchor can be changed in size to meet the conditions of the lake and river beds and hottoms encountered. When the size of any one part is changed all of the coacting parts will be changed in proportion.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A safety promoting boat anchor comprising, in combination, an elongated one piece solid rod providing a shank having leading and trailing ends and terminating at said ends in longitudinally spaced parallel rigid limit stop members, a pull responsive line attaching ring encircling said shank between said stop members and to which one end of an anchor dropping and hoisting line is securely connectable, said ring being slidingly uninterruptedly shiftable along said shank and capable of being restrained when in end thrust abutting engagement with either of said stop members, an elongated axle having a median portion operatively connected to said trailing end, the longitudinal axis of said axle being disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said shank and having opposite end portions projecting laterally beyond said trailing end and provided with integrally connected coplanar flukes, said fiukes being normally in a common plane with said shank and spaced from and parallel to intervening diametrically opposite sides of said shank, and companion anchor elevating and chocking units adjustably operatively mounted on the respective end portions of said axle, each fluke comprising a fiat-faced blade substantially triangular in plan, each blade having a free apical end pointed toward and terminating short of the limit stop member at the leading end of said shank, having its basal end abutting and fixed to a cooperating portion of said axle inwardly of the end of the axle, said blades having inward marginal lengthwise edges converging toward said shank and merging with the limit stop member at the trailing end of said shank, the limit stop member at the leading end of said shank being substantially T-shaped in plan and embodying an integral relatively short crosshead joined to said leading end and providing an end thrust abutment for said ring when the ring is forcibly pulled and slid along said shank into engagement with said crosshead.

2. The boat anchor defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the limit stop member at said trailing end comprises a tubular member integral with and disposed at right angles to said shank and constituting a bearing, and said median portion of said axle being rotatably mounted in said bearing and releasably coupled by said bearing to said shank.

3. The boat anchor defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein the median portion of said axle has a keeper hole extending therethrough and said tubular bearing member has similar diametrically opposite retainer pin holes aligned with said keeper hole, and, in combination, a readily applicable and removable clevis partially embracing said tubular member and having a frangible assembling pin extending through said pin holes and also said keeper hole and normally linking said axle to said tubular bearing, said pin being breakable when subjected to abnormal stress and strain, whereby to free the shank in a manner to rotate in an arcuate path relative to said axle.

4. The anchor defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein each axle elevating unit comprises a sleeve constituting a hub, said sleeve being rotatably mounted on a coacting end portion of said axle and having a fiat plate whose median portion is superimposed on and affixed to said sleeve, said plate having blade-like free end portions projecting radially beyond diametrically opposite portions of said sleeve and providing axle lifting props which when in a plane at right angles to said flukes, serve to prop up the axle and shank and to assist in forcibly embedding the pointed ends of the flukes in the bed of the water.

5. The anchor defined in claim 4, and wherein the inner end of each sleeve has a notch therein providing a keeper seat which is releasably engageable with an associatively cooperable edge portion of an adjacent fluke.

6. A boat anchor comprising, in combination, an elongated solid one piece rod providing rigid shank having a T-shaped leading end terminating in a relatively short integral crosshead and having a trailing end terminating in a correspondingly short right angular tubular member constituting a bearing and also an end thrust limit stop member, a line actuated pull responsive ring encircling said shank and slidingly shiftable along said shank between said crosshead and tubular member, respectively, and adapted to be checked and restrained when in abutting engagement with either the crosshead or the tubular member, as the case may be, an elongated solid axle corresponding in length to and complemental to said shank and having a median portion rotatably operatively mounted in said bearing, the longitudinal axis of said axle being at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said shank, a pair of like triangulate fiat-faced flukes aflixed to and projecting laterally from the respective end portions of said axle and located in coplanar relationship on diametrically opposite sides of the intervening shank, said flukes being of a length shorter than said shank, and axle and shank elevating units carried by and rotatably adjustably mounted on the outer end portions of said axle.

7. The boat anchor defined in and according to claim 6, and wherein the median portion of said axle has a keeper hole extending therethrough and said tubular bearing member has similar diametrically opposite retainer pin holes aligned with said keeper hole, and, in combination, a readily applicable bendable wire elevis partially embracing said tubular member and having a frangible assembling pin extending through said holes and also said keeper hole and normally linking said axle to said tubular bearing, said pin being breakable when subjected to abnormal stress and strain, whereby to free the shank in a manner to rotate in an arcuate path relative to said axle.

8. The anchor defined in and according to claim 7, and wherein each axle elevating unit comprises a sleeve constituting a hub, said sleeve being rotatably mounted on a coacting end portion of said axle and having a fiat plate' whose median portion is superimposed on and affixed t said sleeve, said plate having blade-like free end portions projecting radially beyond diametrically opposite portions of said sleeve and providing axle lifting props which when in a plane at right angles to said flukes, serve to prop up the axle and shank and to assist in forcibly embedding he poined ends of the flukes in the bedof the water.

9. A boat anchor of the class described comprising, in combination, an elongated rigid rod providing an axle and provided inwardly of its respective ends with a pair of duplicate coplanar spaced apart flukes, an assembling and retaining washer removably mounted on each terminal end portion of said axle, sleeves rotatably mounted on the respective end portions of said axle, each sleeve having an inner end provided with a keeper notch normally releasably engaging an edge of the coacting fluke, a Hat plate having a median portion superimposed on and affixed to a peripheral surface of said sleeve and blade-like end portions projecting tangentially beyond said surface and constituting axle elevating and anchoring prongs, an elastic collar encircling a cooperating end portion of the axle and interposed between the adjacent washer and adjacent end of said sleeve and yieldingly pressing said keeper notch into plate positioning but pressure responsive and releasing engagement with the coopera ble fluke in a manner that the prongs are normally at right angles to said fluke but are capable, when released and freed, of assuming a position in a plane common to the anchoring plane of said flukes, and a shank at right angles to said axle and having a trailing end operatively joined to a median portion of the axle between the spaced end portions of the flukes which are joined to said axle.

10. The boat anchor defined in and according to claim 9, and wherein the median portion of said axle has a keeper hole extending therethrough and said tubular bearing member has similar diametrically opposite retainer pin holes aligned with said keeper hole, and, in combination, a readily applicable and removable elevis partially embracing said tubular member and having a frangible assembling pin extending through said pin holes and also said keeper hole and normally linking said axle to said tubular bearing, said pin being breakable when subjected to abnormal stress and strain, whereby to free the shank in a manner to rotate in an arcuate path relative to said axle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,420 6/ 1906 Adams 114208 2,990,799 7/ 1961 Morgan et al 114208 3,026,840 3/ 1962 Bevers 114208 3,280,783 10/1966 Menning 114208 OTHER REFERENCES Boats, publication, April 1959, p. 8.

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner. 

